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This is What a ‘Metroid’ Movie Would Look Like
There are certain game franchises that are just begging for a good film adaptation. Remember seven years ago when IGN and Rainfall Films pranked us all with a “trailer” for The Legend of Zelda? The game AND movie worlds collectively blew loads so massive, I’m surprised we didn’t impregnate the Earth. Alas, when the prank was revealed, it left a sting that has yet to heal.
Now, Rainfall is back with yet another video game adaptation, this time taking on Nintendo’s infamous sci-fi/adventure series Metroid. Starring Jessica Chobot as the popular ass kicking bounty hunter Samus Aran, Metroid: The Sky Calls is a short film that is incredibly well made, looks fantastic, and makes me wonder why producers aren’t tossing money at Rainfall to make these into feature length films.
Rainfall explains:
“The classic Nintendo franchise, Metroid, envisioned through the lens of 60s-70s science fiction cinema such as ‘2001’, ‘Alien’, and ‘Solaris’: this was the concept for Rainfall’s most recent production. Instead of using a modern approach, a style was developed more in tune with the themes that inspired the first Metroid game in 1986: isolation, exploration, and the wonders of deep space.”
Seriously, if you haven’t seen this yet then you need to give 10 minutes to it and just bask in the glory of what could be if the industry would take a risk and give talented people the chance to make magic happen.
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war, but it was a cheerful illustrator from England who helped to define the terrifying war-torn imagery that inspired what we now know as Grimdark (a hybrid genre combining horror with sci-fi/fantasy).
Unfortunately for fans of Warhammer 40,000, Trench Crusade and countless other sources of Grimdark thrills, veteran artist John Blanche passed away this week after struggling with health issues for the past few years.
While the artist retired back in 2023, he leaves us with an enormous legacy of iconic artwork that continues to inspire gamers and storytellers around the world to this very day.
The news is especially gloomy as it was only last year that Daniel Lowman and Napoleon Dynamite himself Jon Heder released The Grim & the Dark: The Search for John Blanche, a documentary following Heder’s exploration of the Grimdark genre culminating in a heartwarming encounter with Blanche in his own home.
Below is one of my favorite pieces by Blanche, his highly influential depiction of Warhammer 40k’s God-Emperor of Mankind on his Golden Throne.
We send our deepest condolences to John Blanche’s family, friends, and fans.
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